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Thursday, June 3, 2010

That was a crazy game of poker baseball.

The baseball night started with Ken Griffey Jr's retirement. Which is just one of those sad inevitable things. And it would have been nice to have a whole evening where the baseball world reflected on his amazing untainted career accomplishments.

Turns out he probably should have retired a day earlier. Or sometime next week. Because it wasn't very long we had to think about Junior before all hell broke loose.

Based on the events of last night, I have come up with yet another cockamamie idea. Ahoy conspiracy theorists! Come on board.

I am calling today's whackadoodle theory: The Umpire Strikes Back.

I have decided that the umpires secretly WANT expanded usage of instant replay. They want it so baaaad. But they can't just say they want it. It makes them look wimpy. So, their secret diabolical plan was to make 2010 umpiring so bad that MLB would have no choice but to institute it. They've certainly done a great job of it even before last night. This season has seen some truly awful officiating, and it's only the beginning of June. But what better time to further their cause than at the peak moment of a historical game, when every single baseball aficionado near a TV, computer or appropriately enabled mobile device was certain to be watching....26 outs into the unprecedented 3rd perfect game in a single season. It was the ideal time to make the mother of all blown calls.

And then just a few hours later, I guess in case some folks in the Pacific Time Zone were still at work and missed seeing Jim Joyce screw the pooch, a 2nd horribly bad call cost the Twins the game in Seattle.

My mom has always claimed that whenever my dad is sick of her asking him to do the dishes, he will develop a serious case of butterfingers and will just start breaking a lot of things.

I think yesterday was the Umpire version of busting up all the good china. Or a certain 6-year old's favorite collectible Care Bear glasses from Pizza Hut. (Not that I am bitter, mind you. I just have a really, really good memory.)

Anyway....the whole situation just sucks.

At least the Tigers got the win. And an apology. Twins just get screwed.

If, god forbid, we wind up in another Game 163 situation because of the butterfly effect of yesterday, somebody's gonna need to hold me back.

In other serious news, Those Girls would like to extend our sympathies to Claudia Cuddyer (and hubby by extension). Very sad news. We'll be keeping their family in our thoughts.

2 comments:

*sigh* normally I'm the person to agree that Umpires have made stupid calls and blown calls and blah blah blah. I didn't see the Tigger blow job... but the Twins one that cost us the game is up on replay (as Ichiro's winning hit).

I have to say the Ump made an unfortunate call, but really was a tough call for him. A lot of people forget the camera is 10 ft higher than the Ump's eyes and gets a better angle. It was a close play and it just came at a sucky time for the Twins.

I'm more pissed about Mijares cutting off the throw to Mauer afterward. I'm pretty sure the play wouldn't have been made at home, but Mijares was being an IDIOT and if he does it now, he'll do it again.

"At least the Tigers got the win. And an apology. Twins just get screwed."

Well said. Also, you have to commend Gallaraga for being so classy about the whole thing. I mean how many chances will this guy ever have at a perfect game? Last night was only the first shutout of his career.